A Sharded Mirror
by Blondemidget
Summary: Based after the events of The Return: Midnight. Damon Salvatore is stuck in the dimension of forever falling ash. How can he return to Earth, to Elena, to Stefan, to Bonnie, when he isn't what he once were? Will the memories be lost among the shards? Written before Phantom was released by the ghost writer.


AN: This is my version of what happens after The Return: Midnight. It just came to me after I had finished reading the last page. I thought I'd better finish this before The Hunters: Phantom is released (Though I heard rumours she cant release anymore Vampire Diaries books...) I hope you enjoy it!

_I do not own any characters in this, or own the story. I am not L.J Smith. _

The taste of two maiden's tears. Elena. Bonnie.

_They are waiting for me. If I can figure out who I am._

And that sparked a fierce determination.

After what seemed like centuries, but was only a few hours, something moved in the ash. A fist clenched. And something stirred in the brain, a self-revelation. A name.

_Damon. _

White hot. Searing. Pain. The feeling of being ripped apart in two, blinding agony. Hour after hour, the shell of his body began to repair itself, little by little, piece by piece.

Memories.

The sound of a girl's laughter, the colour of gold silk. Lapis blue, intoxicating aroma. _Her_ blood…

Blood red curls framing a delicate pixie face. A quivering, dainty body embracing a tall, dark haired man. _Himself._ But who was 'he'? Neither human, nor animal, sea creature, or vertebrae.

_Vampire._

Another memory awakened, blazing to life with light.

I made a move as if to turn away, then turned back. "Because by tomorrow we may be dead. I wanted you to know how I felt about you before I died – Or you did"

_I cupped her scarf-bound cheeks with my bare hands, pulled the scarf just below her lips with my thumbs – and kissed her softly. _

Taste and touch returned.

The body's lungs inflated, the sound a small wheeze in the cold air. Another memory cracked, and resurfaced, dragging imagery of blazing fires and birds singing…

There it was, the essential fire at her core, and the golden truth. Her pure spirit glided in and around him, like a soothing angel. **His** angel…

Sight had awoken.

His body trembled beneath the forever-falling ash, disturbing the fine layers of settled powder upon the cracked dirt. Another hand clenched into a fist before, in his mind, he was sucked back into a dark vortex of forgotten memories.

Suddenly, to his own shock, he broke her koala-grip and pulled her up and kissed her on the lips very gently. "Little Redbird-"

_Little Redbird._

He remembered that name, that girl with the fire in her hair and the spring in her step. The tinge of her aura upon her telepathic voice, her strong premonitions. Witch.

A groan issued from his parched and aching throat, his teeth throbbed, his limbs cold and weak. The teardrops of Power fell on him, one by one, strengthening his muscles, knitting together lacerations. Regenerating emotions.

Being alive. Being dead.

A glitter of a teardrop fell upon his brow, soaking into his alabaster skin, travelling to the neurons enveloping in his brain. The dewdrop was absorbed in the deep crevices beneath the tissues, latching onto the nervous system, and ripped out the past with one harsh slash. It triggered a memory so powerful; the body jerked upwards, eyes flying open.

_"You barsted! I should have drowned you at birth. You're no son of mine!"_

_Our father's drunken slurs echoed around the Italian mansion, so loud and unforgiving, the maids a few floors down grew quiet and sombre. He was standing above a small boy with dark hair cowering on the floor, covered in welts from the angry lashes of his buckled belt._

_Stefan. My **brother**._

_"Father, no! Stop it!" I ran across the polished floor, and yanked the belt from his slack hands._

_"You! You stay out of this you hear me? Wretch!" The force of his fist that pounded into my chin sent me stumbling to the floor beside Stefan. I could taste blood._

_"Enough!" I yelled, covering my own body over Stefan's to protect him from the angry blows and kicks._

_Pain jarred through me again and again. The sharp and stabbing blows of his heavy boots, and the continued whipping with his blunt belt became numb to me over time as I hugged Stefan's small body. He was shivering, whimpering softly like a baby, his eyes shut tight._

_I vowed from that time on to protect him. Even if he never knew. Even if he wouldn't believe it._

"STEFAN!" the primal scream that ripped up out of my throat was unrecognisable, as I became whole again. Not a body, not a skeleton or corpse.

I had conciseness again. I had a self. Damon Salvatore.

I blinked through the falling ash, bewildered, recollecting the past events that had occurred. Was it days ago? Hours? Was it…years?

I looked up at the bleak night sky, the colour of murky brown ash. My jaw ached furiously, and against my will, my fangs lengthened on their own accord, extending to touch my bottom lip.

Thirsty.

I winched as my throat burned, the feeling like raking splinters of wood up and down the sides. I needed blood. I needed…

_**Elena's.**_


End file.
